WOODLAND HILLS, Calif. – For the second-consecutive year, the Rams find themselves having to adjust to being without one of their top wide receivers in the early stages of the season.
Last season, it was Cooper Kupp. This year, it's both Kupp (ankle sprain) and Nacua (on IR with a PCL sprain).
"Well, first and foremost, in the classroom, you tell them all to prepare like they're starters," wide receivers coach Eric Yarber told theRams.com. "You question them – even if they're not playing – in the classroom, in the meetings. You question them on all the different details. You know Cooper and Puka know the answers to most of the questions, but you question the backups a whole lot more than you do the starters just to make sure they're ready and they're in tune."
Yarber's track record with that speaks for itself.
Demarcus Robinson served as the best example in 2023 with how he ascending in an expanded role over the second half of last season. He said Yarber teaches them all the different positions, which allows them to play fast
"I mean, it is pretty tough to to go out there and execute, but once you get the grasp of everything, it's pretty easy to go out there and play fast for him," Robinson said.
"I just think that having the mindset of 'next man up' is very key in this sport," said wide receiver Tyler Johnson, who stepped up in Week 1 with a career-best performance replacing Nacua in that game against the Lions. "I think that Yarbs does a great job of making sure everybody's attentive in the meeting rooms, making sure each person knows what our responsibility is on each and every play, so that if a situation does come up, the next guy goes in and he's prepared.
According to Jordan Whittington, every receiver is held to the same standard, no matter who they are. Yarber said he tells Los Angeles' receivers that even though they're backups, their fundamentals have to be just like the starters. He also emphasizes for them to focus on the things they can control – such as their technique – rather than what they can't control.
"If you play receiver on this team, you're held to a certain standard," Whittington said. "So when you are, you're going to prepare that way, you're going to practice that way, so when you do get to the game, that's just what you are. It's in your DNA. So that's not something you just turn on, that's something that we've implemented as we've been here. I learned that from Cooper, too, just seeing him.
"We're going to be super detailed. We're going to be super selfless. We're going to be very involved in the run game. We want to give maximum effort, and when we don't have the ball, we're going to do something to help make a positive impact on that play. And then when you do get the ball, just make it happen."
"Yarbs do a hell of a job just getting us prepared, and pretty much just getting us trained, got our mind trained for any step of the way," Tutu Atwell said. "He's great coach, and pretty much, man, he just get everybody fired up and ready whether you're a backup or a starter, and everybody just waiting for their opps to come."
No matter the circumstances, Yarber also makes sure to provide proper perspective.
"I try to tell those guys not to make it more bigger than it is," Yarber said. "It's just a game that they played all their lives. They're used to making plays, and this is just another opportunity for them to make plays."
